The children’s commissioner for England has hailed a Plymouth-born safeguarding children scheme just a month before police are set to roll it out across Devon and Cornwall.

Former Devonport officer Sgt David Carney-Haworth and his wife, Torpoint nursery and infant school head teacher Elisabeth, launched Operation Encompass in Plymouth in 2011.

The scheme sees police share reports of domestic abuse incidents, where children have been present, with key adults at the schools they attend.

Elisabeth and David Carney-Haworth, creators of Operation Encompass

The calls are to be made before the youngsters arrive at school the following morning, giving teaching staff time to prepare and offer whatever support the child needs.

The scheme has been rolled out across 22 forces in England and Wales, with interest even coming from police forces and educational establishments in Australia, Canada and Europe.

Following a series of training packages delivered across the South West over the past three months by the scheme’s creators, Operation Encompass will be officially launched on January 10, at Pentillie Castle in Cornwall.

The launch event, hosted by Devon and Cornwall Police, will be attended by the Carney-Haworths, Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer and the High Sheriff’s of Cornwall and Devon.

In addition, one of the scheme’s charity patrons – Dame Vera Baird QC, Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria – will attend the launch.

Very Baird, QC and Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria who took on role of Patron of Operation Encompass

The work of the Operation Encompass scheme was highlighted in the lead item at the BBC’s flagship news programme last week, highlighting the increasing damage done to children who are present when domestic violence takes place.

The news segment, which included distressing stories from victims, highlighted how Northumbria Police was using Operation Encompass to safeguard and help children.

In line with the original concept created by David and Elisabeth Carney-Haworth, a dedicated Northumbria police team scour reports of domestic abuse where children are present before contacting local schools to alert them.

The scheme was highlighted as a positive step to support children, although programme makers noted that only half of the police forces in England and Wales were running the initiative.

Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield told the programme makers the government had to do more to protect vulnerable children in homes where domestic abuse occurred and to employ schemes like Operation Encompass.

She said: “I would like the Prime Minister to make this a priority for the whole of government and actually send out strong messages and a framework for government and public services throughout the land that children need the help now.

“They can’t wait for that support.”

Anne Longfield OBE, Children's Commissioner for England

David Carney-Haworth said last month’s report from HMICFRS (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Service) noted how Operation Encompass was quoted as a ‘simple but effective method of promoting the welfare of a child in a domestic abuse situation and recommends that the process of sharing information with school is adopted by all forces without undue delay’.

He said: “The HMICFRS said it considered the use of Operation Encompass would be part of the PEEL effectiveness inspections of police forces and that they expected to see more widespread use of it and similar schemes.”

He said this month has seen the publication of a key report from Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills.

Patron of Operation Encompass Dame Esther Rantzen with Elisabeth and David Carney-Haworth during the launch of the scheme as a charity in late 2016 (Image: Penny Cross)

The Ofsted chief inspector’s report noted how “preventing and repairing harm to children also means taking into account the role played by the services that serve all children, especially GPs and schools. These services can only help to prevent or repair harm if they are provided with the information they need to fulfil their role, and are trained to respond appropriately.”

He added: “It’s encouraging to see some of the key people involved in safeguarding children take up the Operation Encompass scheme as good practice.

Operation Encompass logo

“Recently the NSPCC revealed figures which suggested around one in five children in the UK have been exposed to domestic violence at home.

“Elisabeth appeared on both the BBC1 News at 10 and on BBC2’s Victoria Derbyshire programme the following day to highlight how too many children are going to school the next day with little or no support.

“In addition, on Friday myself and Elisabeth presented Operation Encompass to 55 of Her Majesty’s Ofsted inspectors at a training session in Bristol at the request of the South West regional director of HMI Bradley Simmons.

“In a recent BBC radio interview Mr Simmons highlighted Operation Encompass and after we contacted him he felt his inspectors needed to know as much about the scheme as possible before they next went into schools to inspect them.”